New Facebook App Teeters on the Edge of Stalking

Facebook is continuing to pour out applications. This week, the popular social networking site is off to a fast start.

In an article on CNN, Facebook has released the "Facebook Breakup Notifier" app, which lets users pick certain friends whose relationship status they want to monitor. When one of these people's relationship status changes, the user is then notified of the change via email. It's perfect for those who have their eye on someone who is currently taken. As the app promises, "You like someone. They're in a relationship. Be the first to know when they're out of it."

Here's a picture of what the new app looks like, and its also at this site:



But does this app, which was created by Dan Loewenherz, cross the border of becoming "stalkerish?" At first look, the concept of this app seems to indeed carry a stalkerish vibe, as people's love lives could be being followed by others without their knowing.

In a column called "Signs you could be a Facebook stalker," William Marshall clarifies some of the activities on Facebook that would classify a user as a stalker. While Facebook stalking is a presently an undefined term, there are activities that can clearly constitute stalking. Marshall goes on to say that "if you are infatuated with someone and you are paying close attention to their activities to further your chances of a relationship with them, you are stalking." In this sense, Marshall sees Facebook stalking as "an unknown and unwanted amount of attention by another user." With the points that this article makes, it's easy to see that constantly monitoring the relationship statuses of other users is clearly considered stalking.

But while Facebook users may find it creepy, it will undoubtedly become a highly popular app among users. It has the potential to be the next big thing on this social networking platform. The thing is, no matter how stalkerish a Facebook app or other social media platforms may seem, we always aggregate to them and turn them into the most popular apps and platforms on the web. Instead of turning our backs towards these stalkerish apps, we soak them all in.

I believe that this Breakup Notifier app will follow the same path that other stalkerish apps have gone down. While there may be initial concerns about its stalkerish vibe and privacy concerns, this app will become a huge hit on Facebook and users will flock to it. This shows the power of social media, and at the same time it shows the potential negatives of social media.

For your viewing pleasure, I've included an advertisement for Virgin Mobile which shows how social media can be used to stalk other people's lives. It may be a funny commercial, but in reality, things like this are actually happening.



Well, now it's time to hear your opinion. What is your take on this new Breakup Notifier app? Do you feel it crosses the line of "stalking?" Do you think it will become a popular app among users?

I for one will now be more aware of who I'm becoming friends with on Facebook because who knows, maybe they only want to be friends to follow my relationship status. Let's hear your take on the issue.

State of the Union Address Goes Digital

SUMMARY

As advances in technology continue to erupt, many of the biggest events in our country are incorporating social media campaigns into their operations. One such event is the State of the Union address. This year, the State of the Union address went digital. Many online and social media platforms were engaged throughout the event. Here are just a few of the initiatives taken on the big night of January 25th:

• C-SPAN and PBS's News Hour broadcasted the event online, with sidebars for people to leave comments via Twitter, Facebook, and more sites
• The White House's website broadcasted the event alongside data and images reflecting the subject matters discussed
• Live stream and enhanced presentation of the address on YouTube
• Sunlight Foundation posted real-time fact-checking during the address
• A mobile app that keeps people updated on the address while they're on-the-go
• The public was having political conversations on Twitter, with hashtags #SOTU, #StateoftheUnion and #UnionAddress as trending topics
• People tweeting included some Senators, Congressmen, and the President himself
• Some of the President's policy team members held a live panel, taking questions via Facebook and Twitter
• The Republican response was broadcasted on C-SPAN, PBS and Facebook

ANALYSIS

This represents a major shift in the way conversations in politics are being carried out. No longer are political conversations simply one-way affairs that are controlled mostly by the media and politicians themselves. Now, these conversations consist of two-way dialogue between the politicians and citizens, allowing anyone who cares to join the conversation. This is exactly what the public desires: a chance to engage with the important politicians who are at the center of all of the issues, and a chance for their voices to be heard. With this social media campaign, the White House has successfully turned the State of the Union address into a significant 4-day affair instead of just a 1-hour event.

Overall, I believe the White House used social media very effectively. In the hard times that our country is facing, more and more people feel the desire to express their opinion and truly "have a say." All of these social media platforms that the White House operated before, during and after the State of the Union address gave people the chance to engage in the conversation. It shows that Obama and his administration are committed to creating and nurturing a productive dialogue throughout the whole nation.

I don't have any major suggestions for the White House on how to improve it social media strategy for the State of the Union address. It's really the first time this has been set forth and put into action, so the White House is still in the beginning stages of its social media usage. It will surely continue to test out new platforms in the years to come. In the meantime, I would recommend that the White House develop a social media strategy for all major events throughout the year. This will continue to give the public a chance to engage with politicians and media in the many political conversations that are going on.

SOURCES

http://www.fastcompany.com/1720866/what-you-missed-while-you-were-watching-cnn-sotu-the-digital-party

http://socialmediabirmingham.com/the-2011-state-of-the-union-social-media-strategy/

College Rejection Letters Gone Forever?

When we were seniors in high school, we went through the lengthy process of applying to the various colleges that we had our hopes and dreams set on. Do you remember the anxiety we felt while waiting to hear from each of the schools? And do you remember the feeling of our stomachs dropping when we received a rejection letter from the college that was at the top of our list? Ok, well that last part may only pertain to a select few of us (yes...me included), but we can all agree that receiving a rejection letter from a school we had hoped to attend would certainly hit us where it hurts.

Well, after reading an article on CNN, Startup Splash Networks and Facebook are teaming up in hopes of eliminating rejection letters forever. Startup Splash Networks has designed a Facebook app called "AdmissionSplash" that will show prospective college students how likely it is that they will be admitted to each school on their lists. This app asks for students to input various information, including test scores, GPA, address, other demographic information, and more factors that admission offices take into account. Then, based off of an algorithm, the users receive a desirability rating as well as the likelihood they will get into the colleges they are looking at. AdmissionSplash is up and running for 1,500 colleges. So far, the results have been suprisingly accurate. For UCLA, "approximately 85% of the students the app said would get admitted actually did." Here's a picture of what the new Facebook app looks like up front:














While the app seems to work (it's in the beginning stages), there are a few underlying questions that need to be answered before prospective students throw all of their information to these two companies. First and foremost, this new app requires a lot of personal and demographic information that would seem to have no bearing on anyone's ability to get into a college, such as one's address. This makes the app look a little suspicious, as people might make it out to believe a simple data mining exercise for Facebook and SSN. In his blog, professional Art Director and Designer Michael Leo wrote an article about the rise of Facebook applications that have underlying intentions to harvest demographic data from consumers. This is a direct violation of privacy on the consumer and tons and tons of people are falling for such applications. Is the new AdmissionSplash app just the next one in line on this list?

Second, the question needs to be asked: can an app or algorithm truly be developed to help predict whether one will be accepted to a certain college? And if so, can it ever be reliable? While results for UCLA have been accurate for this new app, that's not to say it works for the other colleges.

That said, if people do try it out, will they believe the results? The consequences can be detrimental if one tries out the app and it informs him/her that the chances of him/her getting into a school are not good. As mentioned before, it's not 100% accurate. It's not full-proof. It isn't the "real thing." Someone who is rejected by the app can just as easily apply to the school and get in.

Thus, I don't know whether this app should be trusted. Questions will continue to linger around this app for as long as it is in existence about whether it can be trusted or not. Is it just a data-mining attempt by Facebook and SSN to get more information on consumers? Are the results it produces reliable enough? What if one is rejected by the app but in reality, he/she would've gotten into the college had they applied? When it comes down to it, I don't know if I'd be able to trust this app. Thankfully, I've already been through the college application process, so I will not have to worry about ever using this app. But for those who will, I stress a heavy word of caution.